Ordering system for printed products and method for ordering a printed product

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an ordering system for printed products, by means of which a printed product can be defined in a selection module of the ordering system and ordered from a supplier for the printed products, wherein printed products of the same product type are made of product components of the same product component types, and wherein each product component is defined precisely by a combination of a value for parameters such as page format, number of pages, coloration, type of paper, type of binding, processing, and finishing. The invention further relates to a method for ordering a printed product by means of an ordering system, wherein the ordering system determines a list of selectable values for the parameter such as page format, number of pages, coloration, type of paper, type of binding, processing, and finishing of a product component of the printed product, and wherein the ordering system orders the printed product based on the defined values after a value has been defined for each of the parameters by a buyer. In order to simplify the data management of the ordering system for printed products, it is proposed that each individual possible value for each of the parameters is defined as an article in an article database of the ordering system, and that the printed product can be defined in the selection module by successive selection from the articles, and that the ordering system determines the selectable values for the product component from an article database in which each possible value of each of the parameters is defined as an article.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from and incorporates by referenceGerman patent application serial No. DE 10 2007 019 174.1, filed on Apr.20, 2007 and International patent application serial No.PCT/EP2008/003134, filed on Apr. 18, 2008.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an ordering system for printed products, bymeans of which a printed product can be defined in a selection module ofthe ordering system and ordered from a supplier of the printed products,wherein printed products of the same product type are made of respectiveproduct components of the same product component types, and wherein eachproduct component is defined by exactly one respective combination of avalue for parameters such as page format, number of pages, coloration,type of paper, type of binding, processing, and finishing. The inventionrelates further to a method for ordering a printed product by means ofan ordering system, wherein the ordering system determines a list ofselectable values for respective parameters such as page format, numberof pages, coloration, type of paper, type of binding, processing, andfinishing of a product component of the printed product, and wherein theordering system orders the printed product based on the defined valuesafter a respective value has been defined for each of the parameters bya buyer.

Ordering systems, which in particular implement methods of the recitedtype, are generally known and are being increasingly used as a front endfor orders by buyers of printed products. Large graphic production shopsas suppliers for individual printed products advertise that they offer abuyer several hundreds of thousands of various printed products forselection through their respective ordering system and an onlinedetermination of the final price.

Each printed product is comprised of one or multiple product components.Each product component comprises respective predetermined values forparameters such as page format, page number, coloration, paper type,binding type, processing and finishing. The product components aretypically categorized by product component types with descriptivedesignations such as “cover”, “content”, “postcard”, and “poster”.

The known ordering systems resort to using database structures formanaging the printed products offered by one respective supplier. Thesedatabase structures issue an article number for each particular printedproduct in a dataset and list the specific values of the parameters foreach particular product component where necessary, and a pricecalculated there from based on a respective formula. For example, whenthe technical capabilities of the graphics production shop change orwhen the calculation for a parameter changes, each particular dataset insaid data structure needs to be maintained.

In particular, in large graphics production shops with a plurality ofdifferent machines and accordingly a plurality of various options forgraphics production, maintaining data for the known ordering systems isso complex that complete automation of orders through the orderingsystems eventually becomes uneconomical. In order to reduce thecomplexity of data maintenance, the known ordering systems are oftenused to capture only portions of the selections actually available andthey state furthermore that additional options will be available uponrequest.

2. Object of the Invention

Thus, it is the object of the invention to simplify data management foran ordering system for printed products.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is proposed according to the invention that each particular possiblevalue for each of said parameters is defined as an article in thearticle database of the ordering system, and that a printed product canbe defined in the selection module through successive selection of thearticles.

Thus, in an ordering system according to the invention, the printedproduct selected for ordering is defined through the selection of itsvalues only when the order is placed. An article database, in which therespective values for the parameters and the price are listed in thesense of the known ordering systems for each printed product as an“article”, is thus redundant. Thus, the data volume, which has to bemanaged is reduced by several orders of magnitude compared to knownordering systems.

Capturing the technical capabilities of a printing shop in eightparameters with five numerically specified values each would alreadynumerically correspond in one of the known ordering systems to severalhundreds of thousands of theoretically possible printed products, whichwould need to be captured in the database as separate articles. In anordering system according to the invention, only forty values are storedas articles instead.

Preferably, at least one cost factor is stored for each parameter in thearticle database of an ordering system according to the invention, and aprice for the printed product can be determined by means of acalculation module of the ordering system for the printed product basedon the values and cost factors of the parameters of the printed product.A cost factor is a factor which influences the cost of the printedproduct in combination with other cost factors. For example, a costfactor of the parameter “page number” corresponds to the number ofpages. A cost factor of the parameter “page format” corresponds to thesurface area of the format, and a cost factor of the parameter “paper”corresponds to its surface area related cost portion. The cost portionof the paper in the price of the printed product can thus be defined asa multiplication of said cost factors. The ordering system according tothe invention then also provides the option for a buyer of a printedproduct to determine its price without having to manage said price foreach printed product as it is required in the known ordering systems.

Furthermore, a list of the associated product component types ispreferably stored in the article database for each product type, and aproduct type for the printed product is initially selectable in theselection module for defining the printed product. Selecting a printedproduct type facilitates a very ostensive coarse restriction of thevalues for the parameters which are selectable in due course fordefining the printed product and facilitates operating the orderingsystem according to the invention for the buyer. Alternatively, alsoordering a printed product whose type is not defined in advance isconceivable by defining one or multiple product types, whose type is notdefined either, by selecting respective values for all technicallyfeasible parameters, which values are not restricted in advance.

Last but not least, a list of impossible pairings of articles isadvantageously stored in the article database of an ordering systemaccording to the invention, and the selection of additional selectablearticles is restricted based on said list in the selection module afteran article is selected. Impossible pairings of values of differentparameters (e.g. a cross fold for a postcard made of a heavy carton inthe format DIN A6) can be excluded in this list; and further, impossiblepairings of values of the parameters of different product components canbe excluded, e.g. a rolled poster as an insert for a magazine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Based on the known method, it is suggested according to the invention,that the ordering system determines the values, which can be selectedfor the product component, from an article database in which eachparticular possible value for each of the parameters is defined as anarticle. Preferably, the ordering system selects a product componenttype of the product component based on a list of product component typesassociated with the product type, and selects the parameters which needto be determined for the product component based on the productcomponent type, after the product type of the printed product is definedby the buyer. In another preferred embodiment, the ordering systemrestricts the lists of selectable values based on a list of impossiblepairings of the articles. The methods according to the invention, inparticular according to the preferred embodiments, can be implemented bymeans of the ordering systems according to the invention, and comprisethe advantages listed for said ordering systems.

Preferred Embodiment

The invention will now be described with reference to a preferredembodiment.

A large printing business provides its selection of over 250,000different individual printed products in an ordering system, which isfreely accessible through the internet for all buyers of printedproducts. The technical capabilities of the large printing companyinclude offset and digital printing in formats of 85×54 mm for businesscards up to large format prints of 100×220 cm on approximately twentydifferent paper types with lamination, lacquering or glue coating or asa multipart form set, wire- or thread stitched, ring- or glued bound, inLeporello- or roll fold, or rolled up in standard- or express productionand/or delivery.

In the ordering system according to the invention, the buyer initiallyselects one product type out of a clearly structured selection of onlyeleven standardized product types at his PC-workstation through theselection module opened in a standard browser. This may be the producttype respectively comprised of a single sheet, “postcard”, “label”,“business card”, “folded flyer” and “unfolded flyer”, “stationery”,“poster” and “XXL-poster”, and the product type comprised of multipleproduct components, “writing pad”, “multipart form set”, “folder”, “gluebound brochure”, “wire stitched brochure” and “ring bound brochure”.

Additionally, the ordering system supports the selection from a keywordlist or it supports a free text entry of a product type. For example,when entering the product type “ID”, the standardized product type“business card” with a restriction of the paper types to heavy cartonand additional lacquering or lamination, and when entering the producttype “CD designation”, a branch off is automatically performed to thestandardized product type “folder”, with the product components “covercarton” for the cover, and a loosely inserted “thread stitched brochure”with “folder” and “content” in the special format “CD cover”, andoptionally with a round punched out “self-adhesive” label as an insert.

For each of the product types, a list of associated product componenttypes is stored in the article database stored in an XML file. Forexample, a “brochure” is comprised of a product component “folder” and aproduct component “content”, irrespective, of the binding type, andoptionally comprised of one or multiple “inserts” stitched in at adefined location or loosely inserted, and comprised of one respectivesingle sheet. Each “insert” can be initialized with specific propertiesin the selection module by selecting one of the product types comprisedof a single sheet or it can be freely defined alternatively.

For each product component type, the particular possible values of theparameters “format”, “page number”, “coloration”, “paper”,“bookbinding”, and “processing” are defined in the article database asarticles. For example, for the product component type “content” of aglue bound brochure, the values “A4” through “A6” respectively portraitand landscape and “DIN long” and “DIN long transversal” are defined forthe format and for the page number values of 100 to 120 are defined insteps of 4, for the coloration “1/1” or “4/4”, for the paper “80 goffset” or “115 g” or “150 g image print” respectively flat or gloss,for bookbinding the value “cross fold”, for processing either no valueor “perforate” and no value is defined as an “article” for thefinishing. Furthermore, at least one cost factor is defined for eacharticle in the database.

Furthermore, impossible pairings of articles are defined in the articledatabase. This is illustrated in an exemplary excerpt in the followingtable for the product component “folded flyer”, as the only productcomponent of the printed product with the same name:

pflyef.A[4-6] pflyef.(1[0-8])P pflyef.(6|8|1[2-8])P pflyef.parafpflyef.4P pflyef.zickf|combf|lettf pflyef.[6-8]P pflyef.combf

Thus, for a folded flyer (“pflyef”), the formats A4 through A6 incombination with 10-18 pages, page numbers 6, 8 or 12 through 18 incombination with a parallel fold, page number 4 in combination with azigzag-, combination- or letter fold and page numbers 6-8 in combinationwith a combination fold are excluded as “impossible pairings” ofarticles, and therefore also excluded as particular values forparameters.

Frequently used print runs are additionally defined in the articledatabase for each product type. After the printed product is determined,the ordering system determines the respective cost portions for saidpredefined print runs based on the values and cost factors of theselected articles, and determines the cost of the printed product as asum there-from, and displays the respective prices to the buyer, sortedaccording to increasing print runs in the selection module. Furthermore,the buyer can define a freely selected print run in an entry field ofthe selection module, which print run is then sorted by the orderingsystem into the list of the print runs illustrated for comparisonpurposes and displayed to the buyer in the selection module.

After a print run is selected, the ordering system shows a page to thebuyer in the selection module, which page includes a brief summary ofthe selected articles, properties of the selected “printed product” inthe view of the buyer with additional options. In particular, differentoptions are offered for proofs, for shipping and for the format of theprint data.

After the entry of the identification of the buyer, the ordering systemconfirms the receipt of the order to the buyer on a separate screen pageand via email and transmits the order to the large printing shop.

Thus, it is seen that the objects of the present invention areefficiently obtained, although modifications and changes to theinvention should be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill inthe art, which modifications are intended to be within the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed. It also is understood that theforegoing description is illustrative of the present invention andshould not be considered as limiting. Therefore, other embodiments ofthe present invention are possible without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention.

1. An ordering system for printed products, by means of which a printed product can be defined in a selection module of the ordering system and the printed product can be ordered from a supplier for printed products, wherein printed products of the same product type are comprised of respective product components of the same product component types, and wherein each product component is defined by exactly one respective combination of a respective value for parameters such as page format, page number, coloration, paper type, binding type, processing and finishing, wherein each particular possible value for each of the parameters is defined as an article in an article database of the ordering system, and the printed product can be defined in the selection module through successive selection from the articles.
 2. An ordering system according to claim 1, wherein at least one cost factor is stored in the article database for each parameter, and a price of the printed product can be determined for the printed product by means of a pricing module of the ordering system based on the values and cost factors of the parameters of the printed product.
 3. An ordering system according to claim 2, wherein a list of impossible pairings of the articles is stored in the article database, and the selection of the additionally selectable articles is limited based on the list in the selection module after the article has been selected.
 4. An ordering system according to claim 2, wherein a list of associated product component types is stored in the article database for each product type, and a product type for the printed product can be initially selected in the selection module for defining the printed product.
 5. An ordering system according to claim 4, wherein a list of impossible pairings of the articles is stored in the article database, and the selection of the additionally selectable articles is limited based on the list in the selection module after the article has been selected.
 6. An ordering system according to claim 1, wherein a list of associated product component types is stored in the article database for each product type, and a product type for the printed product can be initially selected in the selection module for defining the printed product.
 7. An ordering system according to claim 6, wherein a list of impossible pairings of the articles is stored in the article database, and the selection of the additionally selectable articles is limited based on the list in the selection module after the article has been selected.
 8. An ordering system according to claim 1, wherein a list of impossible pairings of the articles is stored in the article database, and the selection of the additionally selectable articles is limited based on the list in the selection module after the article has been selected.
 9. A method for ordering a printed product by means of an ordering system, wherein the ordering system determines a respective list of selectable values for parameters such as page format, page number, coloration, paper type, binding type, processing and finishing of a product component of the printed product, and wherein after determination of one respective value for each of the parameters through the buyer, the ordering system orders the printed product based on the defined values, wherein the ordering system determines the values selectable for the product component from an article database, in which each particular possible value for each of the parameters is defined as an article.
 10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the ordering system selects the product component type of the product component based on a list of product component types associated with the product type after the product type of the printed product is selected by the buyer, and selects the parameters of the product type, which have to be determined, based on the product component type.
 11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the ordering system restricts the lists of selectable values based on a list of impossible pairings of the articles.
 12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the ordering system restricts the lists of selectable values based on a list of impossible pairings of the articles. 